Why hes here: Look at the honorable mentions list. The best player on the greatest dynasty in professional sports was Bill Russell. The long-time right tackle in Dallas made the Hall of Fame, and you can find him in the Cowboys Ring of Honor as well. But Ruth is maybe the best baseball player ever. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Bryant split his career between Nos. The franchise has retired Drysdales number after he spent 14 seasons in Dodger blue. Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR 57 Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL 58 Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks,. That doesnt mean being the all-time NFL leader in rushing yards isnt amazing. Why he's here: He's the only player to wear No. Now that we are in the 80s, the decisions get a little bit trickier although, this was still an obvious choice. 8 and 24. Outside of his rookie campaign, Mays wore 24 his entire career. > All Players To Wear Number 31. Montana wore 19 when he moved from San Francisco to Kansas City, but he spent only two years with the Chiefs. This was not a hard choice and not just because of the quality of Mannings career. McDavid is clearly going to be the kind of player who dominates the NHL for years at a time. 3 the first 10 years of his career, with the Mariners and Rangers, but a mildly well-known slugger had long ago claimed that number with the Yankees. Major League Baseball retired Robinsons number across the league. Injuries and illness tamped down Lemieuxs numbers a bit, but he still won three Harts and six Art Rosses. Athletes who wore #34 Quiz Stats - By geowiz85 Had Ken Dryden, the legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, played longer he would have been the choice, and also Satchel Paige was known to wear the No. Theres more to Aaron than just his 755 homers. #1 of 217. Jones, NBA, Wade Boggs, MLB; Rod Woodson, NFL;Herb Adderley, NFL; Billy Williams, MLB, Juan Marichal, MLB; Eddie George, NFL; Vladimir Guerrero, MLB; ScottNiedermayer, NHL; Mike Trout, MLB, Marshall Faulk, NFL; Bert Blyleven, MLB; Darrell Green, NFL, Eric Dickerson, NFL; Satchel Paige, MLB; Rod Carew, MLB; John Smoltz, MLB; Ken Dryden, NHL, Nolan Ryan, MLB; Martin Brodeur, NHL; Terrell Davis, NFL; Stephen Curry, NBA; Maury Wills, MLB; Bernard King, NBA, Greg Maddux, MLB; Reggie Miller, NBA; Fergie Jenkins, MLB; Dave Winfield, MLB; Billy Smith, NHL; Mike Piazza, MLB; Donnie Shell, NFL, Magic Johnson, NBA; Jim Brown, NFL; O.J. Why hes here: Grove didnt make his big-league debut until 1925, when he was 25 years old, but he wasted no time becoming a star he led the AL in strikeouts each of his first seven years in the majors. In spite of that, the Pitt Panthers product is second in career receiving yards and receptions. Offensive linemen maybe arent the most exciting players to talk about, but excellence should be recognized. in 1941 he batted .406; no one has hit .400 since. As such, we will give shoutouts to various athletes along the way. And yet, impressive as they are, numbers don't begin to measure his baseball instincts, his charisma or his grace on his sport's biggest stages. The right-hander with the unmistakable high leg kick finished his career with a 2.89 ERA and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. Soccer player of the century? Even then, though, Woodson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. The best players to wear 2 as their jersey number have crafted strong legacies with it. Simpson, NFL; Sandy Koufax, MLB; Bill Walton, NBA; Marcus Allen, NFL; Steve Carlton, MLB, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA; Larry Bird, NBA; Patrick Roy, NHL; Tony Dorsett, NFL; Jose Canseco, MLB; Harry Gant, NASCAR; Honus Wagner, MLB; Patrick Ewing, NBA; Scottie Pippen, NBA, Walter Payton, NFL; Shaquille O'Neal, NBA; Bryce Harper, MLB; Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA; Kirby Puckett, MLB; Thurman Thomas, NFL, Kevin Durant, NBA; Rickey Henderson, MLB; Frank Thomas, MLB; Phil Neikro, MLB; Mike Cuellar, MLB, Jerome Bettis, NFL; Robin Roberts, MLB; Gaylord Perry, MLB; Don Newcombe, MLB, Doak Walker, NFL; Dave Stieb, MLB; Lester Hayes, NFL; Casey Stengel, MLB; Bill "Spaceman" Lee, MLB, Curt Schilling, MLB; George Rogers, NFL;Pavol Demitra, NHL, Larry Csonka, NFL; Dominik Hasek, NHL;Roy Campanella, MLB, Gale Sayers, NFL; Shawn Kemp, NBA; Rick Sutcliffe, MLB, Dirk Nowitzki, NBA; Wes Unseld, NBA; Tom Seaver, MLB; Charlie Waters, NFL; Eddie Matthews, MLB, Jackie Robinson, MLB; Ronnie Lott, NFL; James Worthy, NBA; Mariano Rivera, MLB, Richard Petty, NASCAR; Dennis Eckersley, MLB; Troy Polamalu, NFL, Hank Aaron, MLB; Jerry West, NBA; Pete Maravich, NBA; George Gervin, NBA; John Riggins, NFL; Reggie Jackson, MLB; Willie McCovey, MLB, Bob Gibson, MLB; A.C. Green, NBA; Pedro Martinez, MLB; Kyle Petty, NASCAR, Lee Smith, MLB; Todd Christensen, NFL; Andy Pettitte, MLB, Jack Morris, MLB; Mel Blount, NFL; Tom Glavine, MLB; Jerry Lucas, NBA, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Torii Hunter, MLB; Scott Young, NHL, Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB; Ron Guidry, MLB; Bobby Mitchell, NFL; Brian Savage, NHL, David Robinson, NBA; Mike Singletary, NFL; Dave Dalby, NFL, Jamie Moyer, MLB, Dick Butkus, NFL;Ichiro Suzuki, MLB; Randy Cross, NFL; Randy Johnson, MLB; Jim Ringo, NFL, Ray Lewis, NFL; Dave Edwards, NFL; Jamaal Wilkes, NBA; Mike Webster, NFL, Don Drysdale, MLB; Harry Carson, NFL; Randy Gradishar, NFL; Artis Gilmore, NBA, Randy White, NFL; Rich Gossage, MLB; Brian Urlacher, NFL; Chuck Howley, NFL, Orel Hershiser, MLB; Junior Seau, NFL; Lee Roy Jordan, NFL; Otis Wilson, NFL, Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR, Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL, Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks, NFL; Wilber Marshall, NFL, Jack Ham, NFL; "Tiger" Tom Pistone, NASCAR; Seth Joyner, NFL, Chuck Bednarik, NFL; Otto Graham, NFL;Tommy Nobis, NFL; Otis Sistrunk, NFL, Curley Culp, NFL; Bill George, NFL; Josh Beckett, MLB, Jim Langer, NFL;Curtis "Crawfish" Crider, NASCAR, Gene Upshaw, NFL; Willie Lanier, NFL; Lee Roy Selmon, NFL; Ernie Holmes, NFL, Jerry Kramer, NFL; Elmo Langley, NASCAR; Randall McDaniel, NFL, Elvin Bethea, NFL; Tom Mack, NFL; Gary Zimmerman, NFL, Mario Lemieux, NHL; Ray Nitschke, NFL; Conrad Dobler, NFL, Reggie McKenzie, NFL; BobKuechenberg, NFL; Les Richter, NFL, Jaromir Jagr, NHL; L.C. Why he's here: The middle reliever is the only player in history to post a postive WAR while wearing No. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. For now, though, we're running from zero to 99 to find the best athlete for each number. 42 for all teams. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 25. The best athlete to wear every number | Yardbarker Still, we cant deny the Minister of Defense. Bobby Orr, quite simply, transformed hockey. However, as great as Pistol and Ice Man were at basketball, Hammerin Hank was even better at baseball. 73 for 11 seasons. The Wizard owned the web gem before the term existed, but beyond his lengthy highlight reel the longtime Cardinal was remarkably consistent, setting records for assists and double plays by a shortstop. Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, wore 60. The Best Athletes To Wear Number 4, Ranked By Fans 79, which is kind of interesting, but a few football players have. Karlsson toiled in relative obscurity when he was with the Ottawa Senators, but hockey fans still knew him. Why hes here: Musial feasted on opposing pitchers during his 22-year career with the Cardinals. This was really a battle between Russ and his contemporary Damian Lillard. That includes wide receivers, mind you. He wore No. Why he's here: A pitcher in the 1940 and 1950s, Voiselle wore No. Hes led the league in points per game four times, and the Hall will come calling when he retires. Or write about sports? The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. All of. Eventually, Johnson would take the title of the top driver on the NASCAR circuit. Dan Donovan/MLB Photos via Getty Images; Ed Reinke/AP. Want stats? To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Why he's here: The hard-throwing Yankee has established himself as one of baseball's top relievers over the past two seasons. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. However, Greene was the face of the Steel Curtain defense, being named Defensive Player of the Year twice. Honorable mentions: Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Jim Rice. He also ended his time in the NFL with a ring with the Steelers, though by that point he was no longer a Pro Bowl-caliber back. Its rare for a middle linebacker to get a ton of awards love, but Lewis managed to be named Defensive Player of the Year twice. Years active: 2011-present That was pretty awesome for a couple of years. He has been ranked world No. Category:Players who wear/wore number 2 - Basketball Wiki Why he's here: Two seasons at No. So check out the list of athletes who wore 2 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. We can see why. George Constanza thought Seven was a great name, Five of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, Giants banking on their prototype first-round pick, Kraken stun defending champion Avs in Game 7, Steph Curry puts on record-setting Game 7 show in win, Playoff Butler shows out in Game 1 win over Knicks, Phillies manager provides update on Harper's return, MLB implements unusual rule to avoid pitch clock violations, Former Giants wonder if Rodgers can handle NY media, Brooks fined for dodging media, has no regrets over LeBron comments, Zac Taylor on Joe Mixon: 'His future is here with the team'. However, Faulk was one of the best receiving backs ever. Why he's here: The Dodger closer has worn No. Only Orr won it more times, and he did it during a time when there were fewer teams and a lot less competition for the award. This was a neck-and-neck battle between Randle and Dwight Freeney, but in the end the guy currently in the Hall of Fame gets the nod. Once he led the NHL in assists with 66, unheard of for a blue liner. Why he's here: The 2015 AL Cy Young winner is the easy choice after just four MLB seasons. Ovechkin is still an active player who, hopefully, has a few more years left in his career. The Say Hey Kid won two MVPs and 12 Gold Gloves, and he made 24 All-Star Games wearing No. Why hes here: Clearly, baseballs all-time hit king 4,256 of them, to be precise is eligible for this list. This is one of those numbers where you dont even have to think for a second about who you are picking. Why he's here: The Hall of Famer wore No. His on-base percentage: .482, the best ever. Maybe for some numbers, sure, but not for 15. Sorry, Kobe fans. No one else wore it for more than one. Witten will never make the football announcing Hall of Fame, but hes on his way to the NFL Hall when he finally retires. Why he's here: Belle wore No. We wanted to take a panoramic look across the entire world of sports to find the best athlete to wear every number. Best Pirates players by uniform number - MLB 1. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan. 5, as did Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio. Ripken is best-known for his Iron Man streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (Lou Gehrig previously held the record at 2,130) but he also made the All-Star team 19 times and won the 1991 AL MVP, too. Players had long ago decided to stop wearing No. Carlton Fisk may be the most famous player to don No. On top of that, Guidry won five Gold Gloves. Petty is simply known as The King, which may say it all. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. This was a tough one. Thomas, though, is underrated. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. The Best Athletes To Wear Number 2, Ranked By Fans 11-99, and why, grab a copy at your nearest book store or go to SI.com/anygivennumber. He created the archetype of the modern slugger, and his exploits on and off the field made him the perfect Jazz Age superstar. 10. Why hes here: One of the most underrated players of his era, Stieb was one of the top AL pitcher of the 1980s, even if no one knew it at the time. Rose, who hit .303 in his 24-year career, kept his number during the Philly years and his partial season with the Expos. Kelce outdueled another NFL center, Jim Langer, for this honor. Mark Messier would also make a fine choice. Why he's here: The pitcher wore No. His Philadelphia Athletics didnt actually wear uniform numbers until 1931 (Grove was 30-4 with a 2.06 ERA that year), so Grove only wore 10 in 11 of his seasons, but he still gets the nod here (he led the AL in ERA six of those 11 years, btw). Why hes here: Koufax's numbers from 1962 to 1966 are staggering: Three Cy Youngs, a 113-34 record, five straight ERA titles, three seasons of more than 300 strikeouts. 97. Basically every starting goalie in the world of soccer wears. That game was an aberration for Larsen, who otherwise had a middling career, but it was right on track for Berra, who was on the receiving end of 173 shutouts. Peterson has more rushing yards anad rushing touchdowns, and he once ran for over 2,000 yards in a season. Why he's here: Hershisher's legendary 1988 performance gives him the edge over comtemporary Kevin Appier. GALLERY: Top pro athletes bynumber, from 00 to 99, Jim Otto, NFL; Robert Parish, NBA; Ken Burrough, NFL, Russell Westbrook, NBA; Al Oliver, MLB; Gilbert Arenas, NBA, Oscar Robertson, NBA; Warren Moon, NFL; Ozzie Smith, MLB; Billy Martin, MLB; Pee Wee Reese, MLB, Derek Jeter, MLB;Moses Malone, NBA; Brian Leetch, NHL; Rusty Wallace, NASCAR;Al MacInnis, NHL, Babe Ruth, MLB; Dwyane Wade, NBA; Allen Iverson, NBA; Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR;Bronko Nagurski, NFL; Harmon Killebrew, MLB; Candace Parker, WNBA;Diana Taurasi, WNBA, Lou Gehrig, MLB;Brett Favre, NFL;Bobby Orr, NHL; Mel Ott, MLB; Duke Snider, MLB, Paul Molitor, MLB, Joe DiMaggio, MLB; Johnny Bench, MLB; Hank Greenberg, MLB; Paul Hornung, NFL; Brooks Robinson, MLB; George Brett, MLB; Nicklas Lidstrom, NHL;Dawn Staley, WNBA, Bill Russell, NBA; Julius Erving, NBA; Stan Musial, MLB; Al Kaline, MLB, Mickey Mantle, MLB; John Elway, NFL; David Beckham, soccer; Tiny Archibald, NBA;Phil Esposito, NHL, Cal RipkenJr., MLB; Yogi Berra, MLB; Troy Aikman, NFL; Steve Young, NFL;Carl Yastrzemski, MLB; Joe Morgan, MLB; Willie Stargell, MLB;Kobe Bryant, NBA, Ted Williams, MLB; Gordie Howe, NHL; Bob Pettit, NBA; Bill Elliott, NASCAR; Rocket Richard, NHL; Bobby Hull, NHL; Drew Brees, NFL; Roger Maris, MLB, Walt Frazier, NBA; Fran Tarkenton, NFL; Pele, soccer;Diego Maradona, soccer;Guy Lafleur, NHL; Chipper Jones, MLB; Lionel Messi, soccer, Isaiah Thomas, NBA; Mark Messier, NHL; Elvin Hayes, NBA; Yao Ming, NBA; Cale Yarborough, NASCAR;Teresa Weatherspoon, WNBA, Tom Brady, NFL; Joe Namath, NFL; Terry Bradshaw, NFL; John Stockton, NBA;Jim Kelly, NFL; Ken Stabler, NFL; Roger Staubach, NFL; Roberto Alomar, MLB, Wilt Chamberlain, NBA; Dan Marino, NFL; Alex Rodriguez, MLB; Steve Nash, NBA; James Harden, NBA, Pete Rose, MLB; Bob Cousy, NBA; A.J. 67 for five seasons, far more than any other player. Why hes here: Armed with a sweet swing and an unparalleled batting eye, Carew won seven AL batting titles and hit at least .330 in 10 different seasons. Were no fan of Schilling as a person, but this is about his skill on the mound. Why he's here: Gibson was an elite pitcher, and he just barely edges out fellow elite pitcher Pedro Martinez for the top spot due to a longer career. Marichal won 191 games and rolled up a 2.57 ERA in 328 games (320 starts) during the 1960s for the Giants. I chose players based on their individual statistics . Honorable mentions: Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Barry Bonds. The NHL doesnt like to give the Hart Trophy to goalies. Hes the face of basketball to millions to this day. Pete Maravich wore 44. Thats good enough for us. Guidrys name is forgotten in Yankees lore, which is fair given how many legends they have. Oh, and he won four Super Bowls. Bryant and Gordon are all-time greats in their sports, but Mays is on their level and maybe even better. Hasek won six Vezinas, but on top of that he won the Hart twice. When was the last time Mean wasnt attached to his name? Moss and Shannon Sharpe both wore No. Be it with Oklahoma City or Golden State, or even his one year in Seattle, Durant has worn No. The Hall of Famer won three MVPs and made a whopping 20 All-Star Games. The Russian fell just under 500 goals in his career, but it didnt keep him out of the Hall of Fame. If not for that, he might have become the third-ever player to notch 800 goals. London Marathon 2023: Race attracts record number of participants Even NHL players like Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens sported the 4 on their backs while making an impact in their sport. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. Why he's here: After just two seasons, the Cuban slugger has established himself as by far the best player at this number. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. Its not the most exciting of numbers, but Bart Starr did lead the Packers to the first two Super Bowl wins of all time. 10: Lloyd Waner . There was no debate here. Foyt, Racing; Ernie Banks, MLB; Y.A. 8, but it was also the number he wore his first couple of years in the league. He spent almost the entirety of his career with the Cowboys, making six straight All-Pro squads. Detroit sports fans are going to be feeling pretty good here. By the time he was finished, Robinson had a pair of MVP awards for Cincinnati in 1961 and for Baltimore in 1966and he had collected 586 career home runs. So when New York pulled off the massive deal to get Rodriguez, he switch to No. However, that's usually a goaltenders number, in hockey and especially in soccer. If you're the Babe Ruth of podiatrists, suddenly podiatry sounds like a pretty cool line of work to be in. But lets shout out two other quarterbacks who wore 12: Terry Bradshaw and Joe Namath. Why hes here: Bonds wore 24 during his seven years with Pittsburgh as a tribute to Willie Mays, his godfather. One day, though, Cruyff decided to wear 14 and then tried to wear it whenever he could. He has more sacks, for example, with 137.5. Also, he's been a pretty good pitcher, with a Cy Young, three All-Star selections and 218 wins to his name. We present them here for purely educational purposes. And yet Crosby has done it. There is great, and then there is Joe DiMaggio. The hype surrounding Crosby before he was drafted was hard to live up to. (Take that, Babe Ruth.) 40 here, as the only real threat to him was Henrik Zetterberg. Why hes here: The man with one of the greatest nicknames in baseball history the Wizard of Oz earned his reputation as arguably the best defensive shortstop in baseball history during a highlight-filled 19-year career that included 15 All-Star nods and 13 Gold Gloves. His highlight reel is unparalleled. Honorable mentions: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina, Cole Hamels. This gallery provides a sample of SI's best players to wear numbers 00 to 10. Why hes here: The first-ballot Hall of Famer was just the third player in MLB history to register 3,000 hits and 500 homers. Even though contracting HIV cut Magics career short, he played 11 full NBA seasons, making the All-Star Game in all those campaigns. The Cowboy and Bronco led the NFL in sacks twice and tackles for loss three times. 24. Jeters place among Yankees legends is secure, which is no small accomplishment for that franchise. When Geno was left off the NHLs top 100 players list, it caused an uproar. Baseball history is marked by iconic numbers. Although Sweetness led the NFL in rushing yards only once, when he retired he led the league in career rushing yards, which he held onto until Emmitt Smith passed him. Jim Reineking. Yes, Cris Carter was great, and so was Kellen Winslow. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. At this point he is no longer the player he used to be, but Witten can only add to his legacy at this point as one of the best tight ends ever. The best New York athletes to wear every number Roosevelt Brown; 80. Dierdorf, who you surely remember from his TV commentary work, wore 72 for the entirety of his career, which ended with him in the Hall of Fame. Why he's here: Not much to choose from. Why hes here: At some point, Clayton Kershaw might eventually hold this spot but for now were going with the much longer and still stellar career of Palmer. Were hitting the ice though with Lidstrom. Vote up your favorite athletes to wear the number 2, then head over and check out some other iconic jersey numbers, including thebest players to wear No. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 99, because it was a source of derision to don the number that Gretzky had made iconic. 19. Clemente, who was born in Puerto Rico and was an idol to the people of Latin America, tragically died in a plane crash while trying to deliver supplies to Nicaragua to aid earthquake victims. You know a goalie carried his team when that happens. Few players were as reliable while also being incredible on the court Hes the greatest Spur of all time and a 15-time All-NBA team member. Classic: Type in answers that appear in a list. Why hes here: The Cobra was a legitimate star in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning an MVP, two batting titles and three Gold Gloves. Honorable mentions: Vladimir Guerrero, Scott Rolen, Kevin Brown, Why hes here: Blyleven made his big-league debut in 1970, a couple months after his 19th birthday, and made his last pitch in the majors at 41 years old. For a stretch, Hutchinson was probably the best guard in the league. He was also a two-time First Team All-Pro, so some thought he was the best tight end in the league in his time. Kelce, and his massive beard, was also key in the Eagles winning their first-ever Super Bowl. Not a lot of great choices here, but Stieb was a solid player. Honorable mentions: Ichiro Suzuki, Willie McGee, Trevor Hoffman. Too early? Rivers has thrown for almost 400 career touchdowns and has made eight Pro Bowls. 24, which he wore in Pittsburgh, was retired for Mays, after all. In this sport, though, stats arent the only numbers that matter. 25. Michael Jordan. When the Ravens had the best defense in the NFL, Lewis was at the center of that. He captured the nations attention with his prodigious power three years after Wally Pipp led the AL with nine home runs, for example, Ruth swatted 54 for the Yankees in 1920 and engaging personality. Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. MLB History: Greatest Players to Wear Jersey Numbers 1-57, and Beyond However, he wore it for only two seasons as opposed to four wearing No. Petty is one of three drivers to win the NASCAR season title seven times, and he also won the Daytona 500 seven times. Andy Robustelli's years of faithful service merit him keeping his left hand on this number, but another Giant, Amani Toomer, gets to keep his right . A couple of notable goalies, Tony Esposito and Mike Richter, also wore this number. We considered Doak Walker, mostly for his college career as he only played a few seasons in the NFL. As a hitter, though, he was excellent. The Sultan of Swat mashed 714 home runs in a time when hitting 20 in a season was impressive.

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